Yesterday, a young, jolly, Asian doctor diagnosed my severe head aches [of late] in the class of "fuzzy wuzzy." This made me laugh. I paid a $20 co-pay which resulted in a children's rhyme. I'm glad I went, though, because he ruled out some things, and they'll hopefully soon leave me in peace. I now enjoy imagining that Children's Rhyme and Reason classes are mandatory in medical school. Other hoped-for news----> A test this morning showed that the chance of another ectopic pregnancy has not greatly increased. God is good. (I don't imply that this is so only because the news was "good" from my perspective. His good and gracious will toward His people is everpresent.)
I think I've seen the last of doctors' offices for a while, which warrants a resounding hurrah!
Stoke your ovens, bake some bread, and warm your bones. The day drips grey, and I promised a pizza dough recipe several weeks back. In partial fulfillment of that promise, here's a referral to wonderful tips and recipes, including what appears to be the perfect, thin-crust pizza (just like the pizzamen on Long Island make), in addition to a yummy recipe from Sora's blog, which I've tried once and plan to make again. I think hers would be especially delicious with gourmet pizzas (feta with tomato + spinach...mmm).
Finally, here's the recipe I've been using for the last few months. I usually use all-purpose flour, but you can substitute whole wheat for some or all of the flour, and the addition of a little gluten will increase the chewiness of the crust .
-2 1/2 cups flour (*More if desired; see below)
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. sugar
-1 tbsp. yeast
-1 cup warm water
-1 tbsp. oil
1. Combine salt, sugar, yeast, then add water and oil. Let sit for proofing ('til frothy on top).
2. Mix yeast mixture with flour. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. (*At this point, I usually work more flour--at least 1/2 cup-- into the dough as I knead because it provides a denser crust. If you like more airy crusts, skip this.)
3. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size. Punch down and pat into a roughly 12" circle on pizza pan or cookie sheet.
4. Add toppings and bake OR do as I do. At this point, if I've planned ahead of time, I cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours. The flavor improves greatly, and I like the texture better, as well. This last step really is the key reason for my liking this dough.
(For a delicious flatbread, make this crust and top it with 1/4-1/3 cup prepared Italian salad dressing, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2-1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. thyme, dash pepper, 1 tbsp. parmesan/romano cheese, and enough shredded mozzerella to satisfy the cheese need.)
And now, because I may as well fulfil my monthly quota in one fell swoop (but mostly because I forgot to send these to Rebecca and can now stun two birds with one stone), here are 2 recipes for York Peppermint Patty-lovers. I've already made and consumed a lifetime's worth. I use peppermint oil, to taste, instead of the extract because I have it in my cupboard. I also use more chocolate than the recipe calls for and melt a bit of shortening with the chocolate for easier coating.
Tried and True Peppermint Patty
This recipe is the original recipe for York patties, but as it calls for egg whites (without cooking them), I've not tried it.
Untried but still True Peppermint Patty
Re: Pizza dough. I received a book called "Amy's Bread" that forever changed the way I make bread. She use more salt (which slows down the yeast) and less yeast, no sugar, and uses mostly cool water. As you have discovered to a certain degreee, a long, cool raise does wonders for dough, allowing the flavor to develop--more precisely, the flavor of the flour and other ingredients, but not so much the yeast. Instead of having an over powering yeast-y taste, and not much else, it comes out very flavorful, even though it's only flour, water, and salt. My favorite "white" recipe starts with a sponge starter that rises for 8 hours. Then I turn it into the dough, which rises, in the refridgerator, over night (about 14 hours). And if you like crisy, crunchy crusts, try spraying the tops of your bread/rolls with a clean mister, about every other minute for the first five minutes. (Make sure your oven is good and hot before you put any bread in it.) A baking stone also does wonders for crispy crusts.
ReplyDeleteTiti,
ReplyDeleteI just sent you an email, and I want you to know your part in my sin of covetousness. I looked up the price of Amy's Bread. Then I went to her website (because I couldn't imagine you'd paid that much for it, although it does look like an excellent book) and discovered that it's out of print! So now I covet what I cannot have...:) (Not really, although I will look for it in the Buffalo library system.) On a related note, are you familiar with The Bread Bible? I've heard that it's also a really great bread book.
Abby, I didn't pay anything for it. My selfless Aunt, Marianne, gave me her copy (which she loved) for a birthday present. Although, at the time, she didn't realize it was out of print. We are both hoping to find it cheap, so she can have a copy (again!). I haven't seen the Bread Bible. I will send you some recipes later.
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